National Democratic Chairman Howard Dean took a swing through North Carolina Tuesday, holding fundraisers and meeting with his old presidential rival, John Edwards.

Dean held a luncheon in Charlotte and then attended a reception at the home of David Kirby, a Raleigh trial attorney and former Edwards law partner, reports Rob Christensen.

“He was just an incredibly nice, kind-spirited person,” Kirby said. “Howard Dean up-close-and personal is a gentler, kinder Howard Dean than what some of us have seen on television.”

Among the 30 people attending the Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Raleigh were Attorney General Roy Cooper and state Senate candidate Josh Stein. The cost of the event ranged from $500 to $5,000 per person.

Later, Dean had dinner with Edwards at Crook’s Corner Restaurant in Chapel Hill. Edwards and Dean were rival for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination.

The Conservation Council of N.C. endorsed Josh Stein for state Senate.

The environmental group announced its endorsement of the Raleigh attorney for the Democratic nomination for the seat held by Sen. Janet Cowell, who is running for state treasurer.

"He will be a strong, effective leader for our air, land and water resources and a champion for clean, renewable energy," said Brownie Newman of the Conservation Council in a statement.

Stein has also been endorsed by the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, the Teamsters, the State Employees Association of N.C., Equality N.C., NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers, the AFL-CIO of North Carolina, the Triangle Labor Council, among other groups.

He faces Jack Nichols and Mike Shea in the Democratic primary. 

The State Employees Assocation of N.C. announced its endorsements in legislative primary races.

The group, which represents 55,000 state workers, endorsed 13 candidates for the state House and 12 candidates for state Senate through its political action committee.

Seven of the candidates are Republicans: Rep. Jeff Barnhart; House candidates George Shaeffer, Sidney Sandy, Nalin Mehta and Shirley Randleman; and Sens. Fletcher Hartsell and Jim Jacumin.

In two cases, it endorsed candidates running against each other: state Sen. Vern Malone and rival Ann Akland; and Senate candidates Jack Nichols and Josh Stein.

In the House, the PAC also endorsed Reps. Angela Bryant, Edith Warren and Drew Saunders and candidates Robert Richardson, Greg Taylor, Charles Graham, Betty Mangum and Ric Marshall.

In the Senate, it endorsed Sens. Floyd McKissick, Ellie Kinnaird, Katie Dorsett and Steve Goss and candidates Shelly Willingham and Chuck Stone.

"We're happy to be able to support candidates who care about quality public services and the employees who work so hard to make this state one of the best places to live," said PAC chairwoman Paula Schubert in a statement.

Daniel Johnson will hold a fundraiser in Raleigh Thursday.

The former Wake County assistant district attorney, who is running for the Democratic nomination to face U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, will be at the Player's Retreat form 6 to 8 p.m.

Hosts include state Rep. Grier Martin, music attorney Gus Gusler, Wake County Clerk of Court Lorrin Freeman, Raleigh attorney David Kirby, state Senate candidate Josh Stein and Wake County prosecutor Colon Willoughby.

The Player's Retreat is a longtime Democratic hangout in Raleigh.

About two dozen Democrats gathered in the law offices of Kirby & Holt at noon today to listen to a one-hour talk by David Plouffe, the campaign manager for Barack Obama.

Several participants said there was no explicit pitch for the backers of former Sen. John Edwards. In fact, Plouffe went out of his way to say he understood that some Edwards backers may not be ready to make another choice yet, Rob Christensen reports.

But there were a number of major Edwards backers attending including Chapel Hill businessman Michael Cucchiara, who gave $2 million for the poverty center that Edwards started at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Asked if he was ready to back Obama, Cucchiara said: "No comment."

But Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy, another Edwards supporter, said he was enthusiastically backing Obama.

Foy said the mesage from the meeting was that Obama would be a strong candidate in the May 6 Democratic primary, and would also compete here in November if he was the nominee. Plouffe said Obama could attract enough independents and young voters that he would help all the North Carolina Democrats on the ticket, Foy said.

Others attending the meeting included former House Democratic leader Phil Baddour of Goldsboro, state Rep. Bill Faison of Orange County, Raleigh businessman John Crumpler, former Chapel Hill Mayor Rosemary Waldorf, former state Democratic executive director Scott Falmlen, Democratic consultant Morgan Jackson, and state Senate candidate Josh Stein, who managed Edwards' 1998 Senate campaign.

The event was held in Edwards' former law offices. But Kirby, Edwards' former law partner and longtime friend, was not present. His office said he was trying a case in court.

Josh Stein has decided to spill the beans first.

The Democratic candidate for state Senate District 16 released his fundraising numbers for the final quarter of 2007 this morning.

Stein said that he raised more than $133,000 from more than 400 contributors.

Some of his donors include former House Majority Leader Phil Baddour, Democratic pollster Dean Debnam, former Senate candidate D.G. Martin and Capitol Broadcasting head Jim Goodmon.

"We are energized by this influx of support and by the great response Josh is getting as he meets with voters, sharing concerns and identifying progressive solutions," said campaign spokesman Jason Sulham in a statement. 

No word yet from Stein's primary opponent, Jack Nichols. 

Note to Stein: Here's a mnemonic: Capitol and Goodmon both are spelled with an "o."

John M. Alexander Jr. is considering a run for the state Senate.

A native of Raleigh, Alexander went to Broughton High and N.C. State. He now runs a family-owned business, Capital International Trucks, and is active in local nonprofits. He raised $2.5 million for the Hillsborough Street YMCA in Raleigh, which bears his family's name.

Alexander is considering a run for the Republican nomination for the District 16 seat being vacated by Sen. Janet Cowell.  

On the Democratic side, former Wake County commissioner Jack Nichols and assistant to the state attorney general Josh Stein are running.

Jack Nichols is going on the air early.

The former Wake County commissioner will begin airing two 15-second television ads on regular and cable television in the Triangle starting Thursday.

He is running against Josh Stein in the Democratic primary for state Sen. Janet Cowell's seat.

Campaign consultant Mike Davis said that that ads will air "intermittently" from now on, though it is not "a big buy." He believes political types will be paying attention because of the presidential race.

"It's going to get so cluttered and so negative in April and May," he said. "We know that there's quite a few voters in the district that may not remember Jack when he was county commissioner here and we want to reintroduce him to voters."

In the first ad, a voter laments that all politicians are the same. "You don't know Jack," her friend says.

In the second ad, the first voter notes Nichols accomplishments: Cofounding Smart Start in Wake County and "fighting for our public schools" as county commissioner.

Jack Nichols plans to run for the state Senate seat being vacated by Janet Cowell.

The former Wake County commissioner lost to Cowell in the 2004 Democratic primary. And now that Cowell is running for state treasurer, he wants to take another shot, Rob Christensen reports.

"I believe that my supporters, including the groups who endorsed me, from three years ago will continue to support me," he wrote Dome.

Nichols is a well-known figure in Raleigh politics, having served as lobbyist for former Gov. Jim Hunt, and has also been involved in numerous civic causes. He works as an attorney for Allen and Pinnix.

Also looking at the Cowell seat is Josh Stein, who heads the consumer division of the state attorney general's office.

Josh Stein plans to run for the state Senate next year.

The head of the consumer protection division in the attorney general's office, Stein said he will seek the seat held by Janet Cowell, who is running for the Democratic nomination for state treasurer, Rob Christensen reports.

Stein, a 40-year old Harvard-educated attorney, is no political neophyte. He managed John Edwards' successful Senate campaign in 1998 and then served in Washington as Edwards' deputy chief of staff and legal counsel.

Previously, he worked for the Self-Help Credit Union in Durham, where he handled real estate development in low-income areas for the non profit group.